East Ventures is a pioneering and leading sector-agnostic venture capital firm. Founded in 2009, East Ventures has transformed into a holistic platform that provides multi-stage investment, from Seed to Growth stage investments, for over 300 tech companies across Southeast Asia. As an early believer in the startup ecosystem in Indonesia and the most active investor in Southeast Asia, East Ventures is an early backer of prominent tech companies in the region, such as Tokopedia, Traveloka, Ruangguru, ShopBack, Waresix, Tech in Asia, Xendit, IDN Media, KoinWorks, Sociolla, Kudo (acquired by Grab), Loket (acquired by Gojek), and MokaPOS (acquired by Gojek). East Ventures was named the most consistent top-performing VC fund globally by Preqin and the most active investor in SEA and Indonesia by various media. Moreover, East Ventures is Indonesia's first venture capital firm to sign the Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI), supported by the United Nations (UN). East Ventures is committed to achieving sustainable development and positively impacting society through its initiatives and ESG-embedded practices.

East Ventures

Global Brain Corporation is a venture capital firm that invests in companies from seed or early to pre-IPO startups.  Global Brain has invested in 300+ startups from seed/early to pre-IPO startups and achieved 25 IPOs and 61 M&As as a result of providing hands-on support services and resources to its portfolio startups. Global Brain has managed a pure investment fund as well as multiple corporate venture capital funds partnered together with tier 1 public companies of telecom, real estate development, financial service, beverages, agriculture food, logistics, and electronic devices.

Global Brain Corporation

Globis Capital Partners (GCP) is a venture capital firm in Japan. With its combination of local business presence through Globis Group and the experience of Western VC experience, GCP has set new VC standards in Japan, with hands-on, and in-depth industry expertise.

Globis Capital Partners

ITOCHU Technology Ventures (ITV), based in Tokyo, is the venture capital arm of ITOCHU Corporation. ITOCHU is one of the world's largest corporations with offices in over 80 countries and operations that cover a broad spectrum of industries. ITV's mission is to invest and help build leading information technology companies by leveraging a vast array of resources both domestically and internationally throughout ITOCHU and its group companies. The ITOCHU group has a long history of funding information technology companies with successes including Siebel Systems, NVIDIA, Openwave and Aruba Networks. Current portfolio includes, Box, Fab, Ooyala, WHILL, Tokyo Otaku Mode, etc.

ITOCHU Technology Ventures

GMO Payment Gateway offers PG multi-payment service, including credit-card, convenience store payment, electronic money, Pay-easy, Paypal, cash on delivery, account transfer, and mobile billing payment services. GMO Payment Gateway was established in March 1995 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

GMO Payment Gateway

GMO Venture Partners is an early and growth stage investment subsidiary of GMO Internet Group, one of the most comprehensive providers of industry-leading Internet services in Japan. The firm has a strong presence in supporting startups from EC, payment, ad-tech and enterprise SAAS sectors in regions such as Japan, China, Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and the US. GMO VenturePartners Inc has invested in over 50 startups in over the past years and eight companies went public.

GMO VenturePartners

UNITED, Inc. is developing the smart phone app and the advertising technology business.

UNITED

WiL (World Innovation Lab) is a venture capital firm that partners with leading global corporations and government entities in Japan and Asia. With offices in Palo Alto, California, and Tokyo, the firm’s mission is to serve as a bridge between startups and corporations in the United States and Asia, with a particular focus on Japan. WiL supports its portfolio companies by establishing corporate partnerships that enable U.S. and European startups to scale globally, and Japanese startups to innovate and globalize. WiL invests in emerging technology spanning fintech, insurtech, automation and productivity, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, developer tools, health tech and sustainability. Notable WiL investments that have exited to public markets from Fund I and Fund II include Asana, Mercari, Raksul, Wise and Auth0 — whose acquisition by Okta was completed in May 2021. WiL also invests in exceptional venture funds, and supports its LPs in corporate venture investment efforts. WiL also works with its corporate investors on evolving their own innovation capabilities through new business creation, partnerships with leading startups, and organizational culture change. WiL acts as the bridge between startups and corporates across key innovation hubs around the globe in driving growth - starting with Japan and the US.

WiL (World Innovation Lab)

Mitsui & Co is a general trading company. Mitsui & Co's business area covers energy, machinery, chemicals, food, textile, logistics, finance, and more.  They will contribute to address diverse industrial needs, through procurement, supply and sales of iron and steel products and investment to processing and distribution businesses in Japan and abroad.  Through business development, investment and trading of mineral, metal resources and metals, they reinforce a stable supply of the resources and materials necessary for both industry and society. They are also active in metal recycling and other initiatives to develop industrial solutions to environmental issues.  They contribute to creating better lives through the long-term, reliable supply of social infrastructure such as electricity, gas, water,railways and other logistics infrastructure. They provide sales, financing, lease, transportation and logistics, and project investment in a wide range of machineries, including large-scale plants, marine resource development facilities,ships, and aerospace, motor vehicles, construction/mining machinery and industrial machinery.  Their chemicals business encompasses trade and investment in a range of industries, from upstream chemicals such as basic chemicals, fertilizer resources, through to downstream chemicals such as functional materials, electronics materials,fertilizers,aguricultural chemicals and specialty chemicals. They are also pursuing new initiatives such as green chemicals.  Through upstream development, logistics and trading of energy resources such as oil, natural gas/LNG ,coal and uranium, they contribute to the stable supply of energy vital to both industry and society. As part of efforts to achieve a low-carbon society, they are also actively involved in next-generation energy and environemental businesses.   Adapting to changes in consumption and lifestyles while meeting consumers’ diverse needs, they provide value-added products and services, develop businesses and make investments in the fields of food resources, food products, retail support business, medical and healthcare, fashion, forestry plantation resources, real estate-related business.  Through their ICT, Finance and Logistics business, they work on a diverse range of projects aimed at developing innovative business and expanding their business field. At the same time, they aim to strengthen their company-wide earnings base by pursuing strategic projects and new opportunities and providing specialized functions that contribute to the whole Mitsui & Co. group.  Trading in various commodities led by overseas trading subisidiaries of offices located in the Americas area. Trading in various commodites led by overseas trading subsidiaries or offices located in Europe, the Middle East and Africa area. Trading in various commodities led by overseas trading subsidiaries of offices located in the Asia Pacific area.

Mitsui & Co

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust provides Japanese equity products for corporate and governmental pension funds. SMTB also provides products investing in Asian equities. The capability was developed through its experience in Japanese equity, although it maintains an investment team in Hong Kong.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Investment

Development Bank of Japan is an integrated investment and loan service provider to domestic and international clients. They will support sustainability management that balances economic and social value and will help to realize a sustainable society.

Development Bank of Japan

Mercari

IVA ensures the safety of the market towards the threat of counterfeit goods.

Beebs is an app for buying and selling products related to childhood, such as clothing, childcare, furniture, toys, books, and baby consumables. Beebs helps parents of all backgrounds stay in touch with their children's needs by making prices more affordable (up to 80% less than new). The company was founded in 2020 and is based in France.

Meetscare provides correct information and supports the self-awareness of all people involved in care. The company provides a wealth of information to ensure optimal care and create a mechanism for the realization. Users can make a telephone consultation and web diagnosis and search for free information using the system. Meetscare was founded on 2016 and is headquartered in Arakawa, Tokyo.

Rentio is a site that can be used anytime without buying 1,000 kinds of cameras and the latest home appliances.

IDN is the fastest growing B2B school platform in Indonesia, providing data & financial services to thousands of schools and hundreds of thousands of students across the country.

aMi Inc. is a Booking platform for photographers.

AMI Corp is engaged in medical consulting, medical device development and writing.

Ecbo cloak is a sharing service that connects ''persons who want to store luggage with shops with space to store luggage. Instead of coin lockers, you can pre-order places online online and store your luggage in the open space of stores of various types of business.

jiraffe focusses on Internet service planning, development, and management.

KitchHike is an online service that connects cooks and hikers in kitchens all over the world. KitchHike allows its users to eat local by connecting them to real people, who will invite them into their homes. Its users have the ability to open up their kitchens and cook casual dishes for travelers who want to eat local.

BrainCat is a Japanese company that specializes in developing FinTech platforms. It has developed a social fund service “Gojo”.  BrainCat was established on June 29, 2016.

Startouts is a Planning,development and operation of Internet services.

BASE provides web-based services that develop and build e-commerce platforms. The company provides its services across Japan, such as net shop creation, development of shopping applications, development of online payment, and other services.

Mercari aims to provide a solution by enabling people to sell and purchase second-hand items in a mobile marketplace with their smartphones.

<div>Mercari is a Japanese consumer-to-consumer (C2C) mobile marketplace app that allows users to buy and sell a wide variety of items such as fashion, electronics, jewelry, console games, new, pre-owned, and handmade items. Launched in Japan in July 2013, the app rapidly gained popularity, serving over 4.5 million users within a year and generating monthly transactions exceeding USD 10 million.</div>

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Marketplaces and related solutions for selling goods and services online

Ecommerce Platforms

Mercari reintroduces 10% seller fees, raises buyer fees

De Capital

Beebs

Isai

Citizen Capital

Uber

Mercari has teamed up with Uber to launch Mercari Local, expanding its online marketplace for local item exchange across the US.

C2C and B2C ecommerce platforms that enable users to sell a range of goods and services via their online marketplace (e.g., eBay, Amazon).

FAST RETAILING CO

Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. and Mercari Inc. have signed an agreement to collaborate on creating a safer and more secure environment for buying and selling Fast Retailing Group brand products on the Mercari marketplace.

Meetscare

STRIVE

YJ Capital

Genesia Ventures

Persol Innovation Fund

Japan startup support Association

Rentio

Adways

SMBC Venture Capital

ANRI

Resona Bank

W ventures

Combi Group

Vuzix

Vuzix Corporation, a leading supplier of Smart Glasses and Augmented Reality (AR) technology and products, together with Mercari, Inc., under its research and development organization Mercari R4D, are pleased to announce the start of a AI vision proof of concept shopping experience for the Vuzix Blade AR Smart Glasses that strives to deliver e-commerce product information privately to the user by applying XR and Edge AI.

Technologies bringing about a new reality

Extended Reality

Companies developing XR headsets and relevant sub-components (displays, sensors, and processors). Also includes complementary XR hardware (tracking devices, haptic vests, and gloves)

Infradigital

AppWorks

Netflix

Pegasus Tech Ventures

<div>
 
 Mercari is a Japanese consumer-to-consumer (C2C) mobile marketplace app that allows users to buy and sell a wide variety of items such as fashion, electronics, jewelry, console games, new, pre-owned, and handmade items. Launched in Japan in July 2013, the app rapidly gained popularity, serving over 4.5 million users within a year and generating monthly transactions exceeding USD 10 million.
 
 
 
 
 Mercari's success is attributed to its user-friendly interface, enabling users to list and purchase items within seconds. The app is free to use, and Mercari does not charge commission from sales. Its built-in shipping feature simplifies the process, allowing users to print shipping labels and drop packages in the mail. Mercari provides an escrow service, holding the payment until the buyer confirms receipt, ensuring safe transactions. The platform also offers a buyer guarantee, covering the cost if the item is not received.
 
 
 
 
 Mercari expanded to the US in September 2014, establishing its headquarters in San Francisco. By November 2016, it had opened an office in Portland, Oregon, with plans to hire 100 customer service employees. As of February 2024, Mercari had been downloaded over 20 million times in the US and over 55 million times worldwide.
 
 
 
 
 In August 2023, Mercari announced the launch of its Global Centre of Excellence (GCoE) in Bengaluru, India, with plans to double its existing workforce of 40 employees by 2024. The India team supports Mercari's operations in Japan, focusing on product engineering, backend development, mobile development, and infrastructure.
 
</div>

Vestiaire Collective is a leading global online marketplace for pre-owned luxury fashion items. Founded in 2009 in Paris, France, the company aims to transform the fashion industry into a more sustainable model by promoting circular fashion and reducing overconsumption and waste.
Vestiaire Collective operates a platform where buyers and sellers can buy, sell, and trade authenticated pre-owned luxury fashion items, including clothing, handbags, shoes, and accessories from renowned brands such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, and Prada. As of 2023, the platform had over 3 million items listed and a community of around 23 million members across 78 countries.
The company's core value proposition lies in its rigorous authentication process. All items listed on the platform undergo meticulous quality and authenticity checks by a team of trained experts, ensuring the legitimacy of the products sold. This process involves thorough examination of materials, craftsmanship, branding elements, and serial numbers, as well as the use of advanced technologies like image recognition software.
Vestiaire Collective's business model is commission-based, with the company charging a percentage fee on successful transactions. The fee structure varies based on the sale price, ranging from 15% for items sold between USD 80 and USD 13,000 to a fixed fee for higher-priced items.
In recent years, Vestiaire Collective has undertaken various sustainability initiatives, such as launching the "Brand Approved" program, which allows luxury brands to integrate circularity into their business models by facilitating the buyback and resale of their pre-owned items. The company aims to become carbon neutral by 2026 and has implemented measures to reduce its environmental footprint, including offering green shipping options and eco-friendly packaging.

Vestiaire Collective

Trendyol is a leading ecommerce platform based in Turkey that was founded in 2010 by Demet Mutlu. It operates as a marketplace connecting buyers with a wide range of sellers offering products across various categories including fashion, electronics, beauty, and groceries. Trendyol has evolved from a single shopping site to a comprehensive ecommerce ecosystem, offering complementary services such as logistics (Trendyol Express), instant delivery (Trendyol Go), digital payments (Trendyol Pay), and a secondhand marketplace (Dolap).
Initially bootstrapped with USD 300,000 by Mutlu, Trendyol witnessed rapid growth, reaching over a million customers within its first year. As of 2023, the platform boasts over 30 million customers, 250,000 sellers, and delivers more than 1 million packages daily. Trendyol's success can be attributed to its focus on affordable pricing, a diverse product range, and a sustainable business model that supports digitization of local manufacturers and small businesses.
In 2018, Alibaba Group acquired a majority stake in Trendyol, valuing the company at USD 728 million. This strategic partnership provided Trendyol with technological expertise and helped position it as Turkey's first "decacorn" (a startup valued over USD 10 billion) after raising USD 1.5 billion in 2021, reaching a valuation of USD 16.5 billion.
Trendyol's commitment to creating a positive impact is evident through its support for local talent, sustainable sourcing, and initiatives promoting women's participation in the digital economy. The company has generated significant economic impact, contributing to the growth of over 90% of its sellers and enabling over 50,000 female entrepreneurs to establish ecommerce businesses.
Key customers and partnerships
Trendyol has established notable partnerships to enhance its technological capabilities and expand its reach. In 2018, Alibaba Group secured a significant stake in Trendyol, providing expertise and resources to support the platform's growth. This strategic partnership aims to boost Turkey's e-exports by enabling Turkish SMEs to leverage Alibaba's global network for exporting their products.
Additionally, Trendyol has partnered with EVS, aligning with their shared values of positively impacting people's lives and maintaining a startup spirit. This collaboration has allowed Trendyol to contribute further to Turkey's economy and leverage EVS's expertise in areas such as mobile payments, logistics, and exports.
Trendyol has also formed a partnership with AGH, a company rich in ecommerce experience. This alliance has enabled Trendyol to absorb knowledge and best practices in areas like logistics, mobile payments, and facilitating the growth of SMEs through the platform economy.

Trendyol

SidelineSwap is the world's largest online marketplace for buying and selling new and used sporting goods. It was founded in 2015 with the mission of making sports more affordable and accessible to everyone. The platform allows athletes, fans, and sports families to safely buy and sell a wide range of sports gear across various categories, including baseball, basketball, football, hockey, golf, lacrosse, skiing, snowboarding, and tennis. SidelineSwap has enabled athletes to earn over USD 250 million to date by reselling the extra gear they have at home.
The marketplace operates on a peer-to-peer model, where sellers can create free listings, and buyers can browse through the inventory to find great deals, often at up to 70% off retail prices. Sellers receive payment through SidelineSwap's secure platform once the buyer receives and approves the item. As of April 2024, SidelineSwap had helped over 2 million athletes resell over USD 250 million worth of used sports gear, keeping 180,000 pounds of gear out of landfills annually.
In addition to its core marketplace, SidelineSwap has developed a Trade-in Platform, which provides pop-up events, in-store, and online trade-in options for brands and retailers. This platform leverages SidelineSwap's proprietary marketplace technology and resale data, enabling sellers to choose between direct resale or instant trade-in value. The Trade-in Platform has been adopted by major retailers like DICK'S Sporting Goods and MonkeySports, allowing their customers to trade in used gear for store credits.

SidelineSwap

OnBuy is an online marketplace that was founded in 2016 with the aim of providing a fair and transparent platform for retailers and consumers alike. Unlike other major marketplaces, OnBuy does not hold its own inventory or compete with sellers by offering its own product lines. Instead, it acts as a pure online marketplace connecting independent retailers and brands with customers.
The platform offers a wide range of products across various categories, including electronics, entertainment, home and garden, office supplies, and more. As of March 2024, OnBuy hosts over 35 million products from 11,000 brands and retailers. The company has witnessed rapid growth, recording a 600% year-on-year increase in sales between 2018 and 2021.
OnBuy's unique selling proposition lies in its commitment to treating all sellers equally, regardless of their size or relationship with the platform. It operates on a transparent fee structure, charging a flat commission rate of 5% on consumer electronics and 9% for all other categories, with no listing fees. This approach has resonated well with retailers, attracting hundreds of new sign-ups each month.
In July 2023, OnBuy introduced a pioneering cashback rewards program, becoming the world's first cashback marketplace. Customers can earn uncapped cashback on every purchase, which can be spent instantly on the platform or withdrawn after 30 days. This innovative loyalty program aims to disrupt the online retail landscape and provide customers with tangible rewards for their loyalty.
OnBuy's growth has been fueled by its commitment to ethical practices, fair treatment of sellers, and a focus on customer needs. The platform's success has been recognized by various accolades, including being listed in the Financial Times' 1000 fastest-growing companies in Europe and Deloitte's Fast 50.
In December 2021, OnBuy announced its plans for an anticipated IPO within the next two years, as well as international expansion into over 140 countries. The company also acquired a new headquarters in central Bournemouth in March 2022 to support its growth ambitions.

OnBuy

OpenStore is a platform that provides instant liquidity for ecommerce entrepreneurs, primarily those selling on Shopify. Founded in 2021, the company allows merchants to sell their businesses quickly by providing a cash offer within 24 hours after connecting to their Shopify store and providing relevant data. OpenStore uses proprietary algorithms and data science to analyze a merchant's historical financials, order history, and marketing data to determine a valuation for the business.
The company acquires Shopify brands with USD 1 million to USD 10 million in gross merchandise volume, with a focus on US-based, direct-to-consumer brands. After the acquisition, OpenStore takes over operations of the businesses with the intention of growing them long-term. The company has acquired dozens of brands since late 2021 and aims to streamline the mergers and acquisitions process for ecommerce businesses through automation.
OpenStore differentiates itself from other ecommerce aggregators by its rapid turnaround time and focus on direct-to-consumer Shopify brands rather than Amazon marketplace sellers. The company closed a USD 32 million funding round in September 2022, valuing it at USD 970 million. As of July 2024, OpenStore had over 100 employees and had raised over USD 150 million in equity funding from investors including Lux Capital, Atomic, Founders Fund, General Catalyst, and Khosla Ventures.

OpenStore

B2B ecommerce platforms that enable businesses to sell a range of goods and services aimed mainly at other businesses. These companies mostly provide wholesale/bulk purchases (e.g., DHgate, Lightinthebox).

B2C ecommerce platforms that enable businesses to sell specialized product categories (including electronics, fast fashion, or books) via their online marketplace (e.g., Trendyol, Asos, Bookshop).

Ecommerce solutions providers that offer software for customizable ecommerce and other websites or specific modules embedded in websites such as digital experience intelligence and ecommerce management support (e.g., Shopify, CommerceIQ).

Companies that buy and grow ecommerce brands on ecommerce marketplaces (e.g., Thrasio, OpenStore, Moonshot Brands).

Companies that use GenAI as a core part of their product offering for ecommerce platforms

Some companies in the "ecommerce website solutions" segment provide B2B SaaS solutions

GenAI-based Ecommerce Platform operators offer Generative AI as a part of their core offering

Ecommerce website solutions provide services to build customized platforms/experiences for ecommerce

Mercari

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